Extensible table



NW. 1938. F. T. PARRISH ET AL I 291359335 EXTENS IBLE TABLE Filed Sept. 28, 1955 fu uhluunlllnllhnllllllllHllllllHlllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIAIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIH I Arf/zur .l'f" 2': I

wwfm array Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,135,836 r y g EXTENSIBLE' TABLE Frank T. Parrish and Arthur}. Frazee. Gardner, -Mass., assignors to Heywood-Wakefield Company, Boston, Mass, chusetts a corporation of Massa- Appli'cation September 28, 1935, Serial No. 42,635

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a table of the refectory type having an extensible top, characterized by the provision of leaves which are firmly supported when in an extended position and present a pleasing appearance when in a collapsed position.

In accordance with the present invention, the leaves which form extensions of the table top are disposed at opposite ends of the table and are so arranged as to give, when-in collapsed position, the appearance of a double-thickness top to the table. The leaves are mounted in such a manner that while being moved into either extended or collapsed position, their upper surfaces cannot come in contact with the under surface of the table top to mar the finish on the leaves, and the structure which supports the leaves in extended position also prevents the leaves from dropping when not properly manipulated. Furthermore, when the leaves are collapsed, the boxing beneath the table shows no unsightly notches which would indicate that the table is intended to be extended.

The above and other advantageous features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a table embodying the invention, with the leaves of the table extended.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section, on a larger scale, showing the manner in which the leaves are supported in collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the table in collapsed condition.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

The table base comprises legs I, the upper ends of which are connected by end and side members 2 and 2 extending between adjacent legs to form a boxing for concealing the structure which supports the extensible table leaves. The table top 3 is supported in spaced relation to the side members 2 of the boxing, being held away from the members 2 by side pieces 4 secured to the under- ,side of the table top along opposite edges thereof. These side pieces 4 give to the longitudinal edges of the table an appearance of double thickness, said side pieces being of less length than the side members 2' as shown in Fig. 1, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. Grooves 5 exe tend longitudinally of the side pieces 4 along the outer upper edge thereof, sothat the side pieces 4 have the appearance of being spaced from the table top'3.

Extension leaves 6 and I are disposed at opposite ends of thetable and when in collapsed position, as shown in Fig. 2, are directly beneath the ends of the table top 3 with the outer edges of said leaves in alinement with the outer edges of the top. Furthermore, the upper surfaces of the leaves 6 and i are spaced from theunderside of the top to give to the ends of the leaves the appearanceof being extensions. of the side members 4. As each leaf is supported in the same manner, only one supportingstructure will now be described.

For supporting the leaves in collapsed position, each leaf 6 or I has a pair of parallelly extending arms8 secured to the underside thereof, said arms-extending inwardly of the table from the leaf through notches 9 in an end member 2 of the boxing. The inner ends of the arms 8 also extend .through openings I I in a cross-stretcher I2 which is secured to the underside of the table top and extends between opposite side members 2, see Fig. 3. Each leaf in its collapsed position rests on an end boxing member Zand the. upper ends of the legs I, and the leaf is held inslightly spaced relation to the top I by plates I3 secured within small notches I4 in the boxing member 2, each plate engaging with a groove I5 provided in the corresponding arm 8 just below the under surface of its leaf. These plates I3, as shown in Fig. 4., prevent the leaf I from moving upwardly against the underside of the table top 3 when the leaf is being moved into collapsed or extended position, so that the upper surface of the leaf will not be scratched or marred.

When a table leaf 6 or 'I is in the extended position of Fig. 1, the inner ends of the arms 8 engage with the upper edges of the openings II in the cross-stretcher I2. At this point the arms 8 are thickened, as indicated at I6, so that the arms substantially fill the openings I I to prevent up and down movement of the ends of said arms. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 5, each arm 8 has a recess I? in the side thereof, in which is mounted a latch E8, so positioned as to be flush with the outer surface of the arm 8, and each latch I8 provides an offset hook I9 which engages: over ,the end of a plate I3 to support the leaf when it is in extended position with its upper surface lying in the same plane as the table top 3. Since 'a pair of latches I8 prevent a table leaf from moving downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1, and since the enlarged portions I6 of the arms 8 prevent the inner ends of said arms from moving up or down, the leaves 6 and 1 in extended position are rigidly supported and cannot be accidentally disengaged.

With the latches l8 set into recesses II, it will be noted that the notches 9 in the boxing members 2 need be only the width of the arms 8 adjacent to their point of attachment with a leaf 6 or I, so that there is no unsightly open notch in the end boxing when the table leaves are col-- lapsed, aswill appear in Fig. 4. Furthermore,

since the plates I3 are directly beneath a leaf, in

folded position, they are substantially concealed.

In use, the leaves 6 and 1 are extended by pulling outwardly thereon, a suitable handhold, not shown, being provided in the underside of each leaf, until further outward movement is prevented by stop members on the arms 8 in the form of screws 20, which engage with a cross-stretcher 12, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the leaf is pulled out to this position, it is then raised as high as possibleand pushed toward the table until the table edge and leaf edge come in contact. The hooks 19 are then directly over the plates I 3 and downward movement of the leaf into the plane of. the table top brings the hooks and plates into engagement with the leaf firmly supported in extended position. The leaves. 6 and! are collapsed by reversing the above described procedure.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides an extensible table with the leaves supported in collapsed position in such a manner as to give to the table the appearance of having a double thickness top, the leaves being mount-ed to prevent scratching 'of their upper surfaces while being moved in or out. The structure is also arranged so that the leaves cannot be pulled completely away from the table and when not properly manipulated can drop only slightly away from their extended position.

We claim:

1. In an extensible table, a table top, table legs, a boxing secured to said top and legs, an extensible leaf having a folded position beneath the table top, arms for supporting said leaf in extended position, said arms being supported by the boxing, the latter having openings corresponding in size to the cross sectional area of the arms and adapted to receive said arms, a latch secured to each of said arms in a notch provided thereby,

V and a plate on said boxing adjacent to and extending into each of the openings therein, said latch engaging with the associated plate and supporting the leaf in extended position, said latch having a hooked end engageable over an edge of the plate to retain said latch and plate in engagement when the leaf is in extended position, whereby disengagement of the latch from the plate by a lateral pull on the extension leaf is prevented.

2. In an extensible table, a table top, a boxing beneath said top, an extensible leaf, an arm on said leaf for supporting the leaf in extended position, said boxing having a notch in the upper side thereof to receive the arm, a clip on said boxing adjacent to and extending into the notch, and a latch on said arm in a recess provided thereby engageable with the clip to hold the leaf in extended position, said latch having a hooked end engageable over an edge of the clip to retain said latch in engagement therewith when the leaf is in-extended position and to prevent disengagement of the latch from the clip by a lateral pull on the extension leaf. 7

3. In an extensible table, a table top, a boxing beneath said top, an extensible leaf, an arm on said leaf for supporting the leaf in extended position, said boxing having a notch in the upper side thereof to receive the arm, a clip on said boxing adjacent to and extending into the notch, a latch on said arm in a recess provided thereby, said latch being engageable with the clip to hold the leaf in extended position and said latch having a hooked end engageable over an edge of the clip to'retain said latch and clip in operative engagement when the leaf is in extended position, and means within the boxing for supporting the inner end of the arm, said means comprising a cross member having an opening therein to receive the arm, the latter being enlarged substantially to fill the opening in the cross member when the leaf is in extended position to hold said arm against vertical movement.

FRANK T. PARRISH. ARTHUR J. FRAZEE. 

